Shoe-fastening device.



No. 784,224.A PATENTED MARH2 19.05.

G; E. PBIRGE.

SHOE FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.1e, 19o4.

Strona? dIo Patented March 7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. PEIROE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SHOE-FASTENING DEVICE.l

SPECIFICATIONiforming part of Letters Patent N0. 784,224, dated March '7, 1905.

Application filed April 16, 1904. Serial No. 205.420. i

To (1J/Z whom, it Tmty concer-77;:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PEIRCE, aresident of the city of Providence, in the countyv of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and usefulY Improvements in Shoe-Fastening Devices; and I do being had to the accompanying drawings, and

tothe figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to fastening devices which are more particularly adapted to serve in the capacity of a buckle for overshoes, arctics, and the like, and is an improvement onv the construction shown and described in my application for Letters Patent on a shoe-fastening device, filed February 10, 1904, Serial No. 192,893.v

The fastening device comprises, -generally speaking, two members, one secured to each side or portion of the upper of a shoe or thek points, or corners onto which a ladys dress may catch, as the catching of the skirt on the shoe-buckle is a great annoyance to ladies, as it oftentimes tears the skirt, or in trying to det-ach the same the buckle becomes unclaspcd.-

Another feature of my device is that it may be locked automatically by simply pressing the two members together, and when once locked it cannot be unclasped either by pulling or pushing on the two parts except when the lock-spring is depressed and the hooked member carried ahead.

rlhe invention consists of other novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and thenv pointed' out in the appended claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l represents a practical embodiment of my invention, showing the two parts hooked together andv in the position it will t-ake when attached to a shoe or thelike. Fig. 2 is anenlarged central longitudinal section showing the two members attached together and the manner in which the spring-tongue engages the downwardly-turned edge of the bar or bridge between the openings. Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the member which contains the eyes or openings. Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the member containing the hook. Eig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, l is the lower member, and 2 the upper. rPhe member l of v the device, as willbe seen from the drawings at Fig. 5, has a raised middle portion extending throughout its length, leaving a space beneath for the reception of the hooked portion of the spring-tongue. The lower edges are turned up at 3,3, forming longitudinal grooves or channels on each side thereof. These upturned edges serve to strengthen or stiden this member and at the same time form a guide for the upper member, which slides thereon. At one end of this member is a slot or opening 4', through which it may be attached to the side of theshoe or the like ,by a strap, as shown at 5 in'Fig. l, or by any other suitable means.y This member is provided with a series of holes or openings 6 through its raised middle portion through which the spring-hook 8 enters. Between these openings 6 are transversely-disposed bars or ribs 7, which bars are turned down at one edge 9, makingsaid bars stand at an angle of approximately forty-live degrees to the upper surface. By turning said bars down at an angle they serve to aid in guiding the hook to draw it down automatically until it catches and hooks itself over the downwardly-turned edge of the bar as said upper member is presseddownward and forward. The upper member 2 also has a raised middle section to correspondin form to TOO the upper surfaceof the under member 1, over which it iits and slides longitudinally. On one end of t-his member is also a slot or opening 10, through which it may be secured tothe side of the shoe or the like and is shown in Fig. 1 as being attached by the strap 11. Each edge 12 12 along the side of this member is also slightly turned up, so that it will correspond with and fit into the longitudinal grooves on each side of the lower member, by which grooves said upper member is guided. At 8 is aspring-tongue, shown as being` secured by rivets to the upperside or back of the said upper member 2; butsaid tongue may be made integral with the back, cut out and raised flOm the same, if desired. This tongue is raised or bent up from the point where it is SeCUlGCl and turned down approximately at Fight mgles, projecting down through the opening 14 in the back. The lower portion of this Spring-tongue after passing' through the back is carried forward and the end again turned forward or inclined at 13, forming a hook to engagethe lower edges 9 of the downwardly-turned bars when the two members are in position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the free end of the hook 13 forming an inclined lip 13.

When my improved buckle is applied to a shoe, the upper portion is attached to one side-and the lower portion to the opposite side thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 1. r1`he two sides of the shoe are drawn together by the hands, and that portion of the buckle containing the spring-hook is placed over the portion containing the openings, the hook entering the desired opening in said lower member. Then by pressing the upper member downward and forward at the same time the inclined forward end of the spring-hook engages the forward edge of theI bar, which by reason of said inclination draws said hook down until it catches over the lower edge of said bar and the two members are securely locked together. To disengage the buckle, it is only necessary to press on the spring-tongue with a forward movement of the hand and the two parts at once become disengaged.

It will be observed that by my peculiar construction of hook it is impossible to unclasp the shoe by simply pressing downward on the spring, as the lower end of the hook is turned back, so that it engages the upper side of the bar and -cannot be pressed directly down, thereby obviating any danger of the shoe accidentally unbuckling, which might occur by crossing the feet.

I do not wish to be restricted to the exact construction herein shown and described, as many slight modifications may be made without departing from the Aspirit andscope of my invention.

A shoe-buckle constructed as herein described is not only both strong and durable, but is inexpensive and can be manufactured and placed upon the market at a comparatively small cost. 1t is positive in its action, and its simplicity of construction and ease of operation materially enhances the value of shoes to which such buckle is attached.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described comprising a lower member having` transverse locking bars, an upper member adapted to slide on said lower member, and a resilient tongue carried by said upper member, said tongue being provided with means coacting with said lower member for automatically guiding the tongue between said bars and into engagement with the under sides thereof.

2. A device of the character described comprising a lower member having` transverse locking-bars, and an upper member adapted to slide on said lower member and provided with a resilient tongue, said tongue being provided with a hook-like end coacting with said lower member to automatically depress the tongue into engagement with the bars of said lower member.

3. A device of the character described comprising a lower memberhaving transwrse locking-bars, and an upper member adapted to slide on said lower member and provided with a resilient tongue, said tongue being` provided with a forwardly-inclined hook portion constructed to automatically engage the bars of said lower member.

4. A device of the character described comprisinga lowermember provided with inclined transverse locking-bars, and an upper member carrying a resilient tongue provided with means for automatically depressing the same between said bars and into engagement with the under side thereof.

5. A device of the character described comprising a lower member provided with inclined transverse locking-bars, and an upper member provided with a resilient tongue provided with a forwardly-inclined hook portion constructed to automatically engage said bars.

6. A device of the character described comprising a lower member, an upper member adapted to slide thereon, and a depressiblc resilient tongue carried by said upper member, the forward end of said tongue being provided with means coacting with said lower member for automatically depressing said tongue into locking engagement with said lower member.

7. A device of the character described comprising an upper member provided with adepressible resilient tongue, a lower member provided with a plurality of recesses, and means carried by the forward end of said tongue and coacting' with the lower member to automatically depress the tongue into engagement with said recesses.

8. A device of the character described com- IOO prising an upper member provided with a resilient tonguevhaving a forwardly-.inclined hook, and a lower member y*provided with a plurality of recesses, and means for automatically guiding the hook end of said tongue into said recesses.

9. A device of the character described com-` prising a lower member, an upper member 5 tion.

10. A device of the character described comprlsmg a lower member, an upper member adapted to slide thereon and provided with a.

resilient locking-tongue having'an inclined 11p, saidr lower member belng provided with transversely-arranged inclined bars adapted to intercept the path of movement of said inclined lip as said upper member is slid forward to locking position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of April, A. D. 1904.

GEORGE E. PEIRCE. In presence of- IHOWARD E.4 BARLow, FRANK A. FOSTER. 

